Automobile draft control deflector



Nov. 10, 1953 K. C. SINCLAIR AUTOMOBILE DRAFT CONTROL DEFLECTOR Filed Jan. 22, 1949 INVENTOR. KENNETH C. SINGLE/R BY 37573 My Patented Nov. 10, 1953 AUTOMOBILE con-moi. nnraeorom Kenneth-C. Sinclair, Detroit, Mich-a A'pplication'J'anuaT ZZ, 1949, Serial No. 72,242 (01. 296-85 l-Claims; I

My invention" pertains. to an automobile draft control: system: andsmoreespecialtgto: a particu larxmounting .arrangemenhtor'monnting and ad justably: setting. air deflectors:- in at closed auto mobilerbody. invention: is" an' of the. invention disclosed and claimed 2 my co.- pendi g patentapplioatiomSeriaLNot 5632i; flied GctoberPzfi, 1948;

It isran: objectnofi my: invention" to 12 provide an improved; arrangementnand 'moimting oiii air de flector means-in a closed automobilebodyvfor. convenient adijustmentzto;.variousrset positions tow-deiflect currentsa awayv tronr thewpassengers: on= thewrearn seat .ortoabeoeasily toldedinto a com pact; unobstrueting positiom Itvissalso'r an: objector mar-invention to provide im such? a: system on draft: control arr improved? combination; of air "deflector: shapes and: mount; ingf'suchithatthei-airfdeflectorsimay be supported on, the back: Ofi? the. front seat: for? convenient folding-i thereon or for projection. to alpositiom along theiside ofrthe wautomobile rbody; on to other positions; for deflecting; currentst away from: the rear seat passengers.

My=inventiona willhbe: more: readilyvunderstood, and additional: obii cots: and? advantageso theneofi will become. apparent b yr reading: the: following specification conjunction: wine the appended drawings; wherein:

Fig; 1 is a; fragmentarycrossesectional view through: a closed-eautomobil'e body justtbbhind thei front;seat'sandf lookihgvtoward the: front: for showing the improved arrangemenfl airdefleo torsymounted thereinwandwadjusted to the air deflecting positions adjacent the sides of the body, th1=f01dfld positionsof the deflectorsabemg-shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing the frontseat from the left-hand side and showing the remote inner sideof the right-hand side: of the automobile; the nearest deflector being omitted; and the remote or rightehand'. air'. deflectonbeing shown in the same; full line, and dQttediine positions asin Fig, 1.15:

Eig.;3 is diagrammaticlviewshowing by.means oi? dotted lines and'arrows how the air. currents may, be controlled and deflected." away item. the passengers when set into draft" eliminating positions;

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are end elevational views showing air deflectors of various cross-sectional shapes which may be utilized, the deflection of air being represented by dotted lines, and arrows;

Fig. '7 is an elevational view showing an ad- Justable mounting which may be secured to the z I back: of the front seatfor'. holding an airnee flectotz' Fig. 8 is a section through. the adjnstaibie" mountingono line 8w--8in=..1-'-'ig; 7, the deflector member being omitted; and:

Fig..- 9 shows v a modified mounting? armi Referring morespeeificaliy to: Fig; lofia. the drawing: it wiitrbevseenithatmhhama.iliustrattveix disclosed; my air deflectors: I. t suppontedzfi ad'sjusta'bier mountings t3-=securedt as: by; screws 1-5; to the rear side of 'thevfnont: seats [-1 of 1 aniiauto mobile" body; I 9. One." suchdeflector: may be utilized; if: desired. For example; many drivers wish: to drive with their adiacent -window' opem for 'convenience in signalling, or-evento iacilia tatereception. of audible: orv-isuall' impressionsr. The-draft of air admitted flows awngzxthewinsid ofthe. car body: andrimpinges upomthepassenger. behind the driver. Thisr'aim current: .is-rofii' higln velocity. and-,1 even in warrmweatheni. it? causes great discomfort because of" itet-direco blast upon: the passenger-behind thefi-drivem Then? thisiair: current flows around? t-he-back: ot the rear seat. striking: all the rear. 'seat' passengersforr the backs of. their necks and: creating still further discont fort.

In aocordancawithl my. invention; this) disconnfiort-tiseliminated.-.-by turningathe air defiectorr i=1: up, along theiinner =side-surfaca of the automobi le" body, to a suitable position to capture thisihigtt velocity air stream-and to then" divert or: deflect ittoward thecentenorraxis-ofi the car body;- At

thispoint theair...curnentisedispersed, brokem up? or diifnsed and. the. direct blast effect: upon: a rear seat passenger is eliminatech Thiaaisotree moves the cause of the draft on the baeksnhthe. necks. ofitheerear seat-passengers. Wheretwo suchain deflectors- H. are providedgoot course bothmif thesetai-r controlling elements. may. be turned: unto-air deflecting: positions. :atrthe-sametime, asshovvn.iniulhlinesindiiga1.. Fig. 2.shows the air deflector. onsthe. right-.hand-side: on: the automobilebody, asit stands up.-in..air. deflecting position...

.Ei'gr. 3 diagrammatically shows how two. such: air dflectorsmay. be setto deflect. the air. our rentsto: come together-from-opposite sides ofan: automobile. body, as representedby the dotted lines and arrows. This collision of the air currents at a central position scatters or disperses the air currents and releases the fresh air as a gentle diffusion from a central point so that any discomfort of the rear seat passengers is avoided, or the deflectors may be set in various other positions for merely deflecting the air away from a sensitive passenger.

' seat and such shapes make these elements very effective in capturing and deflecting the air currents to be controlled. However, a flat air deflector, as shown in Fig. 6, may be utilized in such an arrangement and it may be folded down adjacent the seat back.

Such air deflectors are made of flat or sheet material which is preferably one of the transparent plastic composition materials, although fiber sheet, sheet aluminum or other materials may be advantageously utilized as will be readily understood.

The adjustable mountings I 3 are preferably universallly adjustable so that the air deflectors l I may be set to a wide variety of positions to suit the preference of the passengers. As Figs. 7 and 8 show, each such mounting may consist of a base or bracket 2| centrally aperturecl to provide four upturned fingers 23 for receiving and holding a ball 25 from which an arm 21 extends, as in my previously mentioned copending application. A frictional brake 29 is provided in the base for gripping the ball 25, to which it is clamped by screws 3| which may be adjusted to provide the amount of friction desired. The arm 21 extends for attachment to one end of an air deflector I l, as by means of flat plates 33 clamped to opposite sides of the deflector by means of screws 35. The flat plates 33 may be integral with the arm 21, or these may be attached by welding, for extension in spaced relation from the end of the arm. If desired, the extended end of the arm 21 may also be provided with a joint ball 31 and the clamp plates 33 may be separate from the arm for clamping upon this ball in a universally adjustable manner, as in said. copending patent application. The hardware is preferably provided with chromium plating or any other pleasing finish.

As such an arrangement provides a very effective air draft control which is easily operated by the rear seat passengers, the front seat passengers also enjoy greater comfort in having the front door windows open to suit their own requirements.

It is apparent that within the scope of my invention modifications and different arrangements may be made other than herein disclosed, and the the front seat adjacent one side of the body, piv-.

Ill

otal means attaching said air deflector adjustably to said mounting base for movement to be set adjacent the side of the automobile or at various angular or inclined positions to deflect rearwardly flowing air currents to suit the comfort of passengers in the rear seat or to an unobstructive folded position adjacent the upper and back portion of the front seat, said air deflector having a substantially L-shape cross-section for fitting over and along the upper rear portion of the seat back when folded thereon, and said pivotally adjustable means being a universally adjustable ball joint to hold the air deflector in a wide range of different positions to suit the comfort of the passengers in the rear seat.

2. An automobile draft control arrangement comprising, a closed automobile body having a front seat and a rear seat, an elongated air deflector having a curved cross-section suitable for deflecting air currents in said body, a mounting base secured in said automobile body on the back of the front seat adjacent one side of the body, and pivotally adjustable means extending from one end of said elongated air deflector and'adjustably connected to said mounting base so that said elongated deflector may be set up adjacent the side of the automobile or at various angular or inclined positions to capture rearwardly flowing air currents and to conduct or deflect such captured air currents to suit the comfort of passengers in the rear seat, or to be disposed in an unobstructive folded position with the curved cross-section of the deflector extending lengthwise over and along the top and back portion of the front seat when draft control is not desired.

3. An automobile draft control arrangement in accordance with claim 2 and further characterized by said air deflector having a cross-section which is substantially L-shaped for more effec tively controlling the air currents in the closed automobile body and for fitting over and length-' KENNETH C. SINCLAIR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,219,513 Wensinger Mar. 20, 1917 1,515,982 Willard Nov. 18, 1924 1,812,362 Nisbet June 30, 1931 1,849,176 De Fries Mar. 15, 1932 1,950,329 Singer Mar. 6, 1934' 2,072,648 Randall Mar. 2, 1937 2,141,442 Mead et al Dec. 27, 1938 2,252,716 Levy Aug. 19, 1941 2,442,821 Menrath June 8, 1948 

